Short Bio
Eli Hiller is a Filipino-American documentary filmmaker and photographer that has covered refugee crises, housing disparities, social movements, and environmental justice in North America, Central America, and Southeast Asia.
After graduating from Ohio University in 2016, Hiller moved to the Philippines for three years to grapple more deeply with his Filipino roots. While living in Manila, Hiller was a founding member of the production company, BARRIO 99, alongside other Filipino filmmakers. Hiller fulfilled a variety of roles within BARRIO 99, ranging from directing documentaries, working as a producer on sets, editing footage, and more.
Upon returning to the United States in May 2020, Hiller dove headfirst into the complex political interplay between local George Floyd uprisings and the crumbling of Republican trust in ballot voting during the 2020 Presidential Election. Through working for Getty Images, Hiller was able to cover a variety of Midwestern communities including Cleveland, Columbus, Louisville and Detroit.
He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, working on regional video production, editorial news assignments and organizing with a local Filipino activist organization.